


thank you

by momentofzen



Category: Fake News RPF
Genre: Adultery, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-02
Updated: 2017-06-02
Packaged: 2018-11-08 00:59:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,363
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11070738
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/momentofzen/pseuds/momentofzen
Summary: [...] and then you call me and it's not so bad, it's not so bad.





	thank you

**Author's Note:**

> A sweet (hopefully) story inspired by Dido's Thank You. To me, that song screams Stephen/Jon. 
> 
>  
> 
> Enjoy!

**1999**

"It's going to be horrible, I-." Jon found himself repeating to himself, in his new office. He'd already made acquaintance with basically everyone who worked there. The writers were amazingly funny -- he even wrote part of the script himself. He'd read it over and over again. Looked down and adjusted his... dark tie. ( _what color was it? Jon couldn't seem to figure it out. His mind was somewhere else_.) only to pace impatiently around the room again.

"Jon?" He heard someone calling him, from outside of his closed door.

"Yeah...?" He stopped and tried to recollect himself.

"They sent me here to tell you that you're on in ten [ _minutes_ ]." The person, _(a man, yes, it was a man. Jon could finally focus now.)_ said.

"Oh, okay _. Thank you_."

He stepped outside and saw it was Stephen. He hadn't had much chance to talk to him, he only knew he was one of the original correspondents, one of the writers and that he was obnoxiously funny. _And that he also might've stole the show from him._

Stephen must've sensed he was nervous, so he gave him a small pat on the back and a confident, white smile. Small dark eyes smiling behind round glasses. It reassured him, somehow.

"Good luck. You're gonna do great."

And so Jon walked as if he was walking on lava, yet with a hint of confidence hidden in his soul and sat behind his desk.

The cameras pointed at him. Someone signed with their hands.

"In four, three, two..."

He took a deep breath.

" _One_!"

"Hello, welcome to the show!" He read off the teleprompter, although he could just do it off the top of his head if he wanted to. "My name is Jon Stewart..."

Jon couldn't see but in the back, Stephen was smiling at him. _Still._

  
**2000**

Now, Jon and Stephen were what you could call, friends. They shared the same sense of humor, despised Republicans and shared the same music taste. They laughed at the same things, and working with each other was a delight. Jon met Stephen's family, his wife and his little girl and Stephen met Tracey. The four went out to dinner a couple of times and it was all fun, all smiles.

The 2000 election was just around the corner and it wasn't necessary to say that there was electricity and creativity flowing in every corner of the studio. The writing room. The whole crew. Everyone could feel it. They had to do something, something great. Extraordinary. This was their chance.

 

"The Republican Convention at Pennsylvania?" Stephen asked, to which Jon nodded. "What about it?"

"Well, I was thinking that maybe we could go there and... make a coverage of it. But nothing serious, just... pretend we're serious."

Stephen soon smiled. This might work, he thought to himself.

 

  
Now, he and Jon were stuck in a car for one and a half hour, and they were headed to Pennsylvania.

"Sorry, I didn't know there'd be no flights available today." Jon said from the passenger's seat, drumming his fingers on his lap. A cloudy stormy afternoon disentangled itself in front of them and Stephen was stuck on traffic again.

"No worries, Jon. It's probably because of this shitty weather. I'm sure we'll make there on time." Stephen turned around to offer him a reassuring smile. Jon tried his best to return the smile, although his came out looking more apologetic than calm.

"We should've left with the rest of the crew yesterday, I don't know why I stayed. Actually, I _d_ _o_  know why I stayed. I had to go to the doctor. I don't know why _you_  stayed."

"Well..." The cars around them began to move, and Stephen started the car again after giving Jon the pleasure of seeing his smile again. "It's what you do for your friends, right?" His hand slowly moved from the steering wheel to Jon's knee, barely touching. He gave his friend's knee a small squeeze.

With a soft laugh, Jon looked down and then back up at Stephen. "Right. Well, _thank you._ "

"No problem, Jonathan. Now tell me that joke you told to everybody else yesterday."

"Okay, so, a rabbi and and a priest walk into a bar -- _your Catholic butt is gonna love this one, Colbert_ \--..."

In fact, Stephen had already heard that joke. But he didn't mind hearing it again. It was just another rainy afternoon, driving down to Pennsylvania ( _or up, if you think about it_.) with one of his favorite people in the world. It was a good day.

  
**2002**

 How they got to this point, Jon had no idea. Bush was elected. There were rumors of war. The whole country was tense.

"Weapons of mass destruction _my ass_ , Bush is after oil." is what Stephen would say, evidently pissed off, whenever he and Jon would talk about it. Jon couldn't help but agree.

Another thing was, they would make out whenever it was possible.

Whether it was pent up sexual frustration, pent up homosexual desires or just the feeling that the world was going to end at any minute-- _I'm at least bi_ , Jon thought to himself one day -- they would make out.

In the bathroom stall, in their respective offices, when Jon would tell Tracey he'd be out late writing with Stephen and would actually rent a motel room to _hang_ with him.

" _Hang_." Yes, that's what they did. If hanging counted as moaning, sweating and cursing under their breaths.

They would give each other meaningful, subtle looks during segments, and when they ran into each other in the studio. Nobody else knew, only them.

Yeah, Jon had no idea how they got to this point.

But things weren't all wild sex and jokes. They would sometimes vent to each other, and lay beside each other, foreheads touching and hands entwined under the cheap blankets and Stephen would say _"thank you."_ softly under his breath and all Jon could see were a pair of melted chocolate eyes, tousled brown hair and his smile.

"For what?" Jon replied in the same tone of voice.

_"This moment."_

And Jon smiled. He didn't think he'd ever be this happy again.

  
**2004**

The election was around the corner again. The Iraq war so far had been a failure. The term "Indecision" had already been coined by the Daily Show and they were getting ready to do the traditional Indecision segment. This time, Indecision 2004. Perhaps one of the most important elections of all.

"If we end up electing that bastard again, I am going to _shoot_ myself." Steve Carell repeated in the writing room, whilst in the process of helping to write the next episode.

"Don't worry, Steve." Ben Karlin, one of the head writers, said with a laugh. "It ain't gonna be us, it's gonna be the Electoral College all over again."

"Ah, a _true_ American tradition." Stephen butted in with an usual witty comment.

"Don't hex us, you jerk. Put all that Southern voodoo... magic away from us and focus it on the Electoral College instead." Jon said from across the room. The smile was evident on his voice.

"Okay, _big_ boss."

Jon glared. He was aware of how short he happened to be. But then, as soon as he saw Stephen smiling he smiled as well. It was like a _nuclear chain reaction;_ Stephen smiled, Jon smiled with him Stephen laughed, Jon laughed with him.  
  
It could've passed as a normal smile but Stephen knew it was not.

 

Jon didn't know when or where he had fallen in love with Stephen. _It was softly, gradually._

Stephen, on the other hand, had fallen in love with Jon the very _first_ day he saw him.

It was hard. Stephen had a family. Had a wife, had his kids. Jon also had a wife.

_What were they doing?_

God, in the moments they weren't together Stephen tortured himself. It wasn't supposed to be like this. It's not like he chose to fall in love and cheat.

Now, Jon and Stephen would've secretly been together for two years. He liked to think their relationship had evolved from wild sex to _companionship_. Someone to watch football with. Someone to have a beer with and rant about politics while at it. Someone to kiss passionately and cook for.

Those were the things he had with his wife but with Jon, it was different. Things were always exciting. _Routine had become exciting_ and for the first time on his life, he was excited, not bored.

  
"Stephen?" One summer afternoon, Jon walked into his office and shut the door behind him.

"Yeah?" He diverted his gaze from his computer and looked up at the short man who stood tall in front of him.

"I've got an idea... let's spend a weekend together."

"Jonathan Leibowitz-" Stephen couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity, shaking his head. " _Have you finally gone insane?_ "

"No. I mean it - with the primaries around the corner, we'll travel around a lot. Let's just say we go to Rhode Island to check everything out and _boom_ \- a weekend well spent."

That idea didn't sound too bad. They could spend a day together, share hidden kisses and...

"... we can " _get lost_ " for a while, you know what I mean?"

"Oh, I know what you mean. _You dirty boy_."

Stephen said, followed by a loud laugh. They could never call each other things like that and mean it, they knew each other too well to know both of them were too old for it.

  
It was a significant upgrade, Stephen thought to himself as he looked around the hotel room in which he was supposed to sleep in, to go from cheap motels to this.

Odds worked to their favor. Jon was supposed to share a hotel room with Stephen because Comedy Central was cutting expenses and it was expensive to travel around the country like that.

After a day of interviewing dumb Republicans and making fun of every network they ran into, the day was finally over.

Now, they could finally act like the couple they weren't, safe and trapped between four walls and a bathroom. Stephen had bought candles on the way back to the hotel and asked for room service.

When Jon got out of the shower with a towel wrapped around his waist, he was pleasantly surprised.

"Wh-... Stephen?" He asked very carefully. He knew Stephen was famous for being sappy, but he never knew to which level.

" _Surprise_." Stephen held out his arms, as if to show all the hard work he'd put into everything - " _smuggling candles, convincing the boy who brought in the food we were not a gay couple, things like that_ " -and pushed his glasses up his nose.

Jon looked around the candle-lit room and couldn't help but to laugh loudly. "Stephen Colbert, what a sappy man you've turned out to be."

Stephen walked up to him with a look he knew well placed upon his face, and a soft inviting smile coloring his thin lips.

"Yeah, well..." He began softly, looking at him with a sweet gaze. " _I try_."

Wrapping one slender arm around Jon's waist, he slowly pulled the towel from him. Jon already knew what was going to happen.

 _It started like that_. And then, came the kisses. Neck kisses. French kisses. Jaw kisses. Chest kisses.

"Mhm, but this time...- Stephen." Jon murmured against his lips, opening his eyes. "But this time _I'll_ top."

Stephen had no complaints.  
It was just another summer night.

  
Now, they found each other laying next to one another again, completely naked, sweaty and exhausted. Jon was digging into a piece of chicken, and Stephen happened to be eating dessert.

"Yours is better." Jon said, referring to the chicken he was eating.

"Why thank you." Stephen said with a bit of a smug smile - complimenting his Southern cooking was the way to his heart.

"Don't get cocky."

"I absolutely will."

  
After having ate, they both found themselves facing each other with soft smiles and tired eyes. The cold midnight breeze making the trees outside make noise but neither of them seemed to mind.

"So, the election, huh?" Jon asked a bit too casually. Stephen knew the man he was dealing with. He knew he was worried.

"It's gonna be okay. If he wins - which I'm not saying he will, but it's a possibility - at least we'll have four more years of ripping him a new one." Stephen said softly, as he lazily let his fingertips explore every little corner of Jon's bare back. One dimple. Another dimple. Nothing but soft, human flesh. And tried not to think of his wife - in fact, she barely crossed his mind.

"You're right." Jon spoke slowly after a comfortable minute of silence. Now the candles were almost burnt and all Jon could see, once more, was a shadow of tousled dark hair and a pair of rosy lips.  
Stephen saw black - almost grey - hair and wide, hopeful greyish blue eyes.

No words were needed at the moment. Their chests were rising up and down in sync, and at that moment they knew. They would always have each other - doesn't matter if they just turned out to be only friends by the end of it. The memories would remain.

" _And I..."_ A soft singing voice woke Jon up from his _not-asleep-but-not-fully-awake_ state. Jon had his arms wrapped around Stephen's waist and had tangled their legs togethed - Stephen's hand had tangled itself in Jon's hair.

"... _want to thank you for giving me the best day of my life."_

Jon laughed hoarsely and said sleepily, without opening his eyes.

" _Really_ , Stephen?"

Stephen nodded softly although Jon couldn't see him.

"... _Oh, just to be with you is like having the best day of my life._ " He finished softly and laughed afterwards.

"You're welcome." Jon could not miss the oportunity to be witty, part of him still wanted to impress Stephen, even being half asleep.

And Stephen smiled before he closed his eyes and pulled Jon closer to him.

At peace, at last. Until sunrise.

There were many " _best days_ " yet to come. They were sure of it.

 

**Author's Note:**

> writing about these two guys is the only thing that keeps me sane nowadays man.


End file.
